Railway coupler operating rotor



Nov. 28, 1961 u ss 3,010,586

RAILWAY COUPLER OPERATING ROTOR Filed Oct. 29, 1956 INVENTOR 9g Loft f[2 09V Met/45% BY fi e AWL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,010,586RAILWAY COUPLER OPERATING ROTOR Loree Elwyn Furniss, Groveport, Ohio,assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio FiledOct. 29, 1956, Ser. No. 618,740 2 Claims. (Cl. 213-168) The presentinvention relates to a railway coupler of the knuckle type wherein theanticreep mechanism is released and the lock raised and the knuckleshifted to an open position upon rotation of the rotor and the inventionmore specifically pertains to the structure of the outer end of therotor and its connection with the coupler operating rod.

In service and when there is a structural failure so as to make itpossible for a type F coupler to be pulled away from the body structureof a railway vehicle such outward movement of the coupler causes thestandard rotor to be turned and in a direction of rotation to free theanticreep and to lift the lock sufficiently for the knuckle to swing toan open position. When the knuckle of the pulled out coupler is unlockedand when the other coupler is of the interlocking type such featuresbecome inefiective and it is possible for the coupler to drop to theroad bed. Efiorts have been made to improve the connection between therotor and the coupler operating rod to avoid undesired rotation of therotor when there is an increase in the angle between the operating rodand the center line of the motor such as occurs when there is a pull outof a coupler.

It is an object of the invention to provide further improvements in theconnection between the rotor and the operative rod and structure of arotor for a lock operating mechanism whereby the rotor will not berotated when the angle between the axis thereof and the center line ofthe operating rod increased during outward movement of the coupler withrespect to the vehicle body and to provide a structure which may beconveniently manufactured in a casting operation and a rotor which is ofmaterially less weight. a

It is an object of the present invention to provide structuralcharacteristics at the outer end of the rotor for connection with theoperating rod wherein undesired unlocking of the coupler is avoided onpull outs and wherein the bearing area for the support of the operatingrod is materially increased and the rate of wear is materially reduced.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated andbecome apparent as the present disclosure proceeds and uponconsideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detaileddescription wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lock operating rotor for a railwaycoupler exhibiting the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rotor showing a conventional coupleroperating rod in association therewith in the inactive position of therod with the phantom lines indicating the position of the inner endportion of the coupler operating rod in position to be engaged with anddisengaged from the rotor.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view taken from the rear side of the rotor andthe operating rod which is shown in the inactive position.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the rotor with a poriton of the operating rodshown in section and in the inactive position thereof whereas thephantom lines represent the position of the inner end of the operatingrod with the knuckle open and the handle of the operating rod againstits stop.

The invention pertains to the structural characteristics of the outerend portion of the rotor for the lock operating mechanism for a railwaycoupler. The rotor includes a shaft shaped portion 10 having a lug 11projecting therefrom and provided with fiat side surfaces 12 and 14. Theshaft portion of the rotor and the structure of the lug 11 are ofconventional construction and the rotor disclosed while beingparticularly adapted for the type F coupler may be adapted for use inother couplers and equipped with an outer end structure formed inaccordance with the present invention.

The structural characteristics at the outer end of the rotor are suchthat the hook or J-shaped end 16 of conventional type of coupleroperating rod 17 may be ar ranged therein for actuating the rotor duringan intentional lock lifting operation to swing the knuckle of thecoupler to an open position. The structure shown to the right in FIG. 1may be formed integral with the shaft portion 10 and one of theadvantages of the present invention is that the entire rotor may beformed in a casting operation wherein the pattern parting may be formedalong the line 19 (FIG. 4).

The structure at the outer end of the rotor includes an inner end wall21 arranged substantially at right angles to the axis of the shaftportion 10. The free edge 22 of the Wall 21 is arranged in a plane whichis substantially tangential to the periphery of the shaft portion 10 ofthe rotor. A bottom member or wall 24 is arranged substantially at rightangles to the wall 21 and an arcuate portion 26 joins the wall 24 withthe wall 21. The free edges of the wall 24 and the arcuate wall portion26 are in the plane of the edge 22 of the wall 21. An outer end wall 27occupies a plane substantially at right angles to the bottom member orwall 24. The wall 27 preferably is integral with the wall 24 and thefree edge 23 of the wall 27 is in the same plane as the edge 22 of thewall 21. An aperture 29 is provided in the end wall 27.

A front wall 31 is arranged in a plane substantially parallel to theedges 22 and 28 of the end walls and in a plane substantially at rightangles to the end wall 27. The inner surface of the wall 31 is flatthroughout the central area but has arcuate portion 25 which merges withthe wall 21 and the arcuate wall portion 26.

The hook or J-shaped end 16 of the coupler operating rod is retained inthe cavity provided by such walls dur ing normal operating conditions bya ledge 33 which does not completely form a roof overthe cavity. Theledge 33 is carried principally by the end wall 27 although the forwardportion of the ledge may be integral with the outer end portion of thewall 31. The inner edge 34 of the ledge 33 adjacent the wall 31 is in avertical plane and is substantially parallel with the end wall 27. Thisparallel surface 34 merges at 36 with the edge surface 37 on the ledge33. The surface 37 while remaining in a generally vertical planeconverges towards the wall 27 in proceeding rearwardlyfrom the area 36.The inclined surface 37 merges with the inner surface of the wall 27 atthe rear end thereof as best shown in FIG. 2. 1

An under surface 39 on the ledge 33 inclines upwardly in proceedingrearwardly from the wall 31 and the inclination of this surface 39 isshown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. The purpose of the inclined surface 39is to allow the J-shaped or hook-shaped end 16 of the coupler operatingrod to rotate within the rotor after the kunckle of the coupler has beenswung to an open position by the operating rod and when the handle isthen dropped so that it moves back against its stop. on the supportingbracket at the side and end of the railway Vehicle body.

The upper surface of the ledge 33 is flush with the top edge of the endwall 27 so as to provide a relatively large bearing area for the supportof the coupler operating rod 17 in its inactive position. .The uppersurface of the ledge 33 and the top edge of the end wall 27 in the reararea 41 (FIG. 4) is in a single plane which is substan- 3 tiallyparallel to the wall 24. The upper surface of the ledge 33 and the topedge of the end wall 27 in the area 42 slope downwardly from the surfacearea 41 in proceeding towards the wall 31 and the front of therotor. Theinclination of the area 42 continues to provide an inclined edge 43 onthe Wall 31.

The structure at the end of the rotor includes a lug 46 which isintegral with the wall 21 in the vicinity of the end of the shaftportion 10. This lug extends from the wall 21 towards the end wall 27and terminates in an end surface 47 spaced from the end wall 27. Aninner portion of the lug 46 is rounded as indicated at 48. The thicknessof the lug increases in proceeding towards the free end thereof for thepurpose of increasing the strength of the lug. The lug includes anarcuate portion 49 Where it merges with the inner surface of the wall21.

The inactive position of the rotor is represented in FIG. 2. The hook orJ-shaped end 16 of the coupler operating rod 17 may be mounted inoperative association with the rotor within the cavity by arranging thecoupler operating rod in the phantom line position shown in FIG. 2.Thereafter the coupler operating rod 17 may be swung to the positionshown in full lines in FIG. 2 when the outer end of the coupleroperating rod is then in position to be secured in the-bracket at theend and side of the railway vehicle body.

The inactive position of the coupler operating rod when viewed from therear thereof is shown in FIG. 3 and it 1 will be noted that the free endof the hook or J-shaped end 16 is then within the cavity and positionedbeneath the ledge 33. If there is an outward movement of the coupler asa result of failure of the draft rigging or some part of the coupler therotor will move in the direction of the arrow 60 in FIG. 2. The coupleroperating rod while pivoting about the bracket at the outer side of thevehicle body will then swing relative to the axis of the rotor towardsthe phantom line position shown in FIG. 2 and the structure at the outerend of the rotor permits such movement without any tendency of the rotorto be turned. When the operating rod arrives in the phantom lineposition shown in FIG. 2 the hook is free to disengage from the rotorupon further outward movement of the coupler. Thus there is no tendencyof the rotor being turned so as to lift the lock when there is apull-out of the coupler. The pulled coupler then remains in matedcoupled relationship with the coupler of the other car or vehicle.

In operation and when it is desired to free the anticreep mechanism ofthe coupler and to lift the lock the coupler operating rod is rotated inthe direction of the arrow 62 in FIG. 4. The reversely disposed portionof the hook or J-shaped end 16 of the coupler operating rod then engagesthe inner surface of the wall 31. The portion 63 of the coupleroperating rod then engages the inner surface of the lug 46. The shaftlike portion is then rotated in the direction of the arrow 64 (FIG. 1)to carry out the lock lifting and knuckle throwing operation.

When the knuckle is in the open position and when the handle of thecoupler operating rod is permitted to re-v turn to its inactive positionagainst the stop on the bracket carried by the railway vehicle body' thelock operating parts are free to return by gravity and the rotor and thehook-shaped end of the operating rod assume the relationships shown inphantom lines in FIG. 4 when the portion 63 of the hook or J-shaped endlies along the inclined' area 42. The free end of the hook shapedportion is then adjacent the inclined under surface 39 of the ledge 33.

While the invention has been described with reference to a rotor for onetype of interlocking coupler it will be appreciated that the structuralcharacteristics forming the outer end of the rotor may be applied toother types of lock operating parts and that changes may be made in thestructural features at the outer end of the rotor. Such modificationsand others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rotor for the lock operating mechanism of a railway couplercomprising, -a shaft portion, an inner wall carried by an outer end ofsaid shaft portion arranged in a plane substantially at right angles tothe axis of sa d shaft portion, an outer wall substantially parallel tosaid inner wall and spaced therefrom, a front wall and a bottom memberboth joining said inner and outer walls, a ledge carried by saidouterwall projecting inwardly therefrom and extending from the frontwall to the rear edge of said outer wall, an undersurface on said ledgesubstantially at right angles to said outer wall forming a downwardlyfacing abutment preventing upward movement of the free end of a hookshaped coupler operating rod, a first inner side surface on said ledgesubstantially parallel to said outer wall in an area adjacent the frontwall, another inner side surface on said ledge arranged in one planeconverging towards the outer wall in proceeding rearwardly from a rearend of the first inner side surface, a lug carried by said inner wallextending substantially parallel to said shaft portion towards saidouter wall, said second inner side surface on said ledge being spacedfrom a free end of said lug to accommodate the hook shaped end of theoperating rod therebetween, a forwardly facing surface on said lugforming an abutment for the coupler operating rod during intendedrotation thereof, and the upper surface of said ledge being flush withthe upper edge of said outer wall forming a bearing surface supportingthe coupler operating rod in the inactive position.

2. A rotor for the lock operating mechanism of a railway couplercomprising, a shaft portion, an inner wall carried by an outer end ofsaid shaft portion arranged in a plane substantially at right angles tothe axis of said shaft portion, an outer wall substantially parallel tosaid inner wall and spaced therefrom, a front wall and a bottom memberboth joining the inner and outer walls, a ledge carried by said outerwall projecting inwardly therefrom, an undersurface on said ledgeextending from the front .wall to a rear edge of the outer wall arrangedsubstantially at right angles to said outer wall forming a downwardlyfacing abutment limiting upward movement of a free end of a hook shapedcoupler operating rod, a first inner side surface on said ledgesubstantially parallel to said outer wall in an area adjacent said frontwall, a lug extending from an upper rear portion of said inner walltowards said outer wall, a forwardly facing generally vertical surfaceon said lug forming an abutment for the coupler operating rod duringintended rotation thereof, a second inner side surface on said ledgearranged in one plane converging towards said outer wall in proceedingrearwardly from the rear end of the first inner side surface, saidsecond inner side surface being spaced from a free end of said lugproviding a passageway for the escape of the coupler operating rodtherethrough with the second inner side surface forming a guide for thecoupler operating rod during escape through said passageway, an upwardlyfacing surface on said. outer wall flush with an upper surface on'saidledge forming a bearing supporting the coupler operating rod in theinactive position, and the undersurface on said ledge converg'ng towardsthe upper surface on said ledge in proceeding re'arwardly providingclearance for the free end of said hook shaped end of the coupleroperating rod when the coupler is in the open position.

' No references cited.

